Saturday, June 30, 2012

WEEK 57 (7-1-2012)

Nile - At The Gates Of Sethu (2012)
- Nile's no stranger to any death metal fan, as they've been putting
out their Egyptian and Lovecraftian themed death metal for almost twenty
years now. I enjoyed the band's last outing, 2009's "For Those Whom The
Gods Detest" and I also have to say that I really liked this one too.
But it's no "In Their Darkened Shrines 2003" or "Annihilation Of The
Wicked 2005" so don't expect that. This is a new type of beast.

Yes,
they've gone back to their roots with the album, as it contains many of
the Egyptian atmospheres and instrumentals that we would've expected
from the band in their early to mid-era. Karl's growls are now scowls,
and I'm not quite sure how people are taking to that. The gravel is
still there of course, it's just not as heavily pronounced and is only
most prominent in the band's single, "The Fiends Who Come To Steal The
Magic Of The Deceased 4:30."

But regardless of the change in
vocal style, the drums still blast as well as they always have, the
rhythms are still the same, the riffs are just as you remember them, and
the solos just as frantic as ever. Musically, this album is quite a
blistering marvel of brutality, with tracks such as the opener "Enduing
The Eternal Molestation Of Flame 4:29." or "The Inevitable Degradation
Of Flesh 5:30." And those are just a few!

Each and every track on
here bashes with the fury of death metal vets, and there's absolutely
no remorse to be found within it. Even if Karl is trying to save his
vocal chords, the lines are still as brutal as they have always been.
The amount of technicality, precision and sheer "nile-ness" of the band
is still intact. This is still Nile, they haven't added unnecessary
electronics or some other strange hooplah that bands fiddle with when
they're trying to keep fresh. When you buy this, you're getting a death
metal album. You're getting a Nile album.

It's got some killer
leads, some influences from odd places - is that black metal riff I
heard there? Are they also playing around with some prog, this time?
Yes, there's a hell of a lot of structure here; quite possibly more
structure and meat than they've ever had. It certainly sounds like a
band that methodically thought out every line, every riff, and every
drumbeat. This is a disc that was hand-crafted, not just thrown
together. Also expect to hear some horns, "When My Wrath Is Done 3:11"
chanting, and orchestral influence to close out the album on it's last
track, "The Chaining Of The Iniquitous 7:05." Don't forget about the two
instrumentals, "Slaves Of Xul 1:24" and "Ethno-Musicological
Cannibalisms 1:40." These are both essential Nile atmospheres, just as
good as anything that they've used on the other albums, and Karl
Sanders' solo material. They definitely add to the mood of the disc, and
that is most important.

With all of the atmospheres, brutality
and structural integrity; this is definitely one of the band's finest
releases to date. It's not their best, but certainly not their worst
either. These guys are getting old, but the music is still as strong as
ever. Definitely worth a purchase.

(11 Tracks, 47:00)

8/10

Cattle Decapitation - Monolith Of Inhumanity (2012 BY REQUEST)
- Another well known musician requested the review of this, (not naming
any names) so I decided that I would certainly go ahead and give it a
go. I'm not quite familiar with many of the band's current material, but
I do believe that it's much better than some of their older work. This
album is, anyway.

I was a little surprised by this one. While
the disc is as brutal as you would expect it to be, and it's also as
technical as you might also expect; (as several brutal bands are
incorporating technicality these days) the disc is also features some
interesting ideas at times. I have no idea what's going on with the
clean vocals though, it sounds like someone with an accent is singing
through their nose. They could've left that shit out.

The disc
also has solos, but damn are they ever short. I guess it's more about
the drumming, the gravelly vocals and whatever the hell else they've got
people doing on the mics. I'm serious folks, you've got your
gravel/deathcore growl, you've got the scowl guy and then some guy that
sounds like he's trying to be as demonic as humanly possible. Of course,
that could be the same guy.

As for the album, there are some
songs that actually have a deep level of structure and don't sound like
they're just set to "pulverize." Most of this album is that way, so if
you like head-smashing metal, this is your bag for sure. Believe me, I
enjoyed it quite a bit. Definitely the right kind of ravagery for me.
However, tracks like "Lifestaker 4:14", "Do Not Resuscitate 3:18" and
"Your Disposal 4:47" actually offer some breaks in the brutality that
include clean melodies and black metal riffs, for example. Parts of this
disc actually encroach a little bit on black metal, but then it'll go
right back into chuggy death metal, and then to piggie squeal, and then
right into fucking slaughter mode, where the drums thunder.

Yes,
the drums thunder. They thunder pretty fucking hard. If one thing can be
said about Cattle Decapitation, it's that they've got a hell of a
drummer and some worthwhile riffs. Definitely much better than the Job
For A Cowboy disc. If you already bought that one, shame on you! You
should've saved your money and purchased this massacrepiece of
brutality, instead.

While I could have honestly done without
"The Monolith 3:39" a slow, dreary atmospheric piece that opens the
album's monumental closer, "Kingdom Of Tyrants 4:50"; I feel that the
band has obviously matured from their earlier deathcore influenced stuff
they put out like "To Serve Man." There's still deathcore to be found
here, but it's been muddled into the grind, death and black that finds
it's way into this clusterfuck of carnage.

I could've done
without the clean vocals, they sound amateur and could be left out. If
you can't fucking sing, then don't fucking sing. I couldn't make the
clean vocals out in my headphones, and listening to this on my laptop
didn't help. They're just real low in the mix and real muddy. It's like
the singer didn't want you to hear him sing. Face it buddy. You can
growl, you can squeal, you can scowl, you do some kind of voice that
sounds like you're fucking possessed; don't try out for American Idol on
top of it, okay? Keep it in the realms of brutality.

Other than
that, no major qualms. A brain melting disc that will warrant many
plays, despite the fucking clean vocals that you wish weren't on there.
It's like you just can't win these days. The Job disc had awful scowls
in the background that they didn't need, and these guys have that fucker
who sings through his nose. Do any of these popular bands know how to
just make brutal death metal fusion music that doesn't have bad vocals? I
would love to hear what this sounded like without the clean vocals.
Would it have killed him to growl on the melodic parts? Quo Vadis did it
when these guys were still semen, and nobody bitched about it.

Ah,
fuck it. I might as well be talking to the moon. Nevertheless, death
metal fans who already picked up Job and Nile need to pick up this disc
too. Yeah, it's another 20 you could've put on gas. But you want to
support your favorite bands, right?

8/10 (Would've gotten higher if the clean vocals were
sapped. But not that much, nothing over the top amazing - but still
pretty damned good. Great for a quick dose of adrenaline. Probably great
with an FPS.)

Dying Fetus - Reign Supreme (2012 Limited Edition)
- These guys blew me away when I saw them live last year with
Powerglove and Fleshgod Apocalypse. They played damn near a three hour
set. That set fucking killed. I don't care if you didn't think so,
because I did. I wasn't even really a fan until i saw those guys live.
They brought that same energy back with them on this disc. Now I don't
recommend getting this limited edition, unless you want to get shit on
by the band, but for the most part; it's pretty fucking good. As in
brutal, as in groovy, as in chugga chugga chug.

First of all,
these guys are trying to incorporate some new stuff into their music,
but it's still Dying Fetus. You'll notice quite a few sweeps on the
opener "Invert The Idols 2:05" and plenty of that signature groove. This
wouldn't be a Dying Fetus disc without the groove and chug that they're
known for. There's no pussy vocals on here either. Two vocal styles,
but both of them excel. A little bit more structure than the last disc,
which is a good thing. It's good to see innovation that doesn't kill the
nature of the band.

Oh, there's some thrashy stuff on here too.
"From Womb To Waste 4:56" (with it's unmistakable intro) and Dissidence
"3;27" contain some definite thrash influence and are much faster. But
you're still going to get that signature groove, so just expect it.
There's also more little guitar jizz portions on this then you'd expect.
"Revisionist Past 3:57" starts out with one of those. There's also some
guitar solos on this disc that are fucking worthwhile, so listen for
those. DF has never been about solos, but this time they've done a few
and they're good, so be fucking grateful and enjoy them.

It's
simple. If you like Dying Fetus, and you didn't think that they could
get any better, well they fucking did. This probably one of the best
discs I've heard from the guys and it tops 2009's Descend Into Depravity
and the shitty little EP.

Alright, so the EP was good. But this
is much better. Go grab this shit along with the rest of the death
metal I've told you to buy. Money is no object. Don't spend all that
time on Rockbox getting the shit for free, go and charge the fuck out of
your plastic cards! These guys need the money and they fucking deserve
it!

Bonus Track: Dead Whores Love To Fuck (0:50) Yeah, this is
what you get with the limited edition. The shit should come with a live
show DVD or something, not just this 50 second track that is nothing
more than thrown together shit with the vocals, "Dead whores love to
fuck! Dead whores love to fuck!" over and over again. The record company
must've told them, "Hey, we need a bonus track." So they said alright,
let's throw some shit together!

This is what became of that.
Seriously, buy the original version of this disc, unless you get a
badass DVD of a show with it. But you need to fucking buy it anyway,
because it's worth every minute of bludgeoning.

(10 Tracks, 38:00)

10/10 (Limited Edition Version: 9/10)

Ihsahn - Eremita (2012)
- After the completion of the trilogy, Ihsahn decided to further delve
into the same progressive tendencies that filled much of his last album,
2009's "After." Some of you might not feel so great about this,
wondering why he's fooling around with weirdness and synthesizers; and
why Emperor hasn't yet gotten back together to record a new album.

But
I feel that in Ihsahn's current state of music, a new Emperor album
from him might sound completely different. It might not even sound like
black metal. This album doesn't even have the right to be termed proper
black metal. It's blackened prog metal. You'll see hear your blasts and
erratic riffs, Ihsahn's scowl lets loose on the tracks, but so do his
clean vocals; but black metal purists might spit in the face of the man
for this one, because it's heavily star studded and seems to be going
for a more mainstream audience.

Ihsahn wants to make money now.
He's enlisted several people to help him in doing just that; including
Devin Townsend, Jeff Loomis, and several others. There's even a female
vocalist featured on the disc, if you can actually believe it. Hell, the
first track, "Arrival 5:40" opens up with a guest male vocal! I also
might add that the track is a little bland, and is not a great way to
open up an album. However, "The Paranoid 4:43" comes in strong with what
we would expect from Ihsahn's earlier discs.

One of the main
points in this album is the unbelievable pairing of Ihsahn and Devin
Townsend, a man who needs absolutely no introduction. "Introspection
5:37" is definitely one of the best songs on this album, and is a must
hear. The riffs are absolutely killer, and the vocal styles of Ihsahn
and Devin meld together seamlessly. There's even a good solo thrown in,
just to make an already great track better.

Those songs were
completely sax-free, but "The Eagle And The Snake 8:47" brings that saxy
sound right back to us. This track is a little different then most
people would expect, it sounds very mature, almost like something that
might be played in a jazz club with some darker metal elements. There's
even the classy piano in addition to great licks and solos left and
right. Really, this album is a finely crafted masterpiece; even though
it does seem to fall apart in a few places. But I'll get to that in a
minute.

"Catharsis 4:50" is another unique track, it has a very
slow pace and the sax continues here. It also has a really great vocal
chorus. Oddly enough, and quit twisted in a sense, this song has a sort
of "romantic tendency." Would people fuck to this one? I don't know.
Would this set the mood? Maybe. But it does feature one hell of a solo.
"Something Out There 5:09" follows, bringing with it something that
reminds me of black metal, but with orchestral influence. Again,
Ihsahn's clean vocal chorus is just as good here. This song really
sounds like an odd mix of alternative rock and black metal... And I like
it.

Now we get to the filler. For some odd reason, a dreary
instrumental piece called "Grief 2:21" is here, and I'm not sure if it's
an intro to the next track or not, but this sort of thing really isn't
his style. I don't care for it, and it's really not needed anywhere on
the album. it's also rather basic, and could've been used as the base of
a song. "The Grave 8:18" rushes right in, sounding like a suicidal
black metal track, despite the added saxophone (did we really need
that?) In the middle of the song, there's just all this nonsensical
experimentation and continued saxophone playing. While this might be the
disc's darkest track, it's also one of it's most throwaway tracks.

"Departure
7:06" starts out very slow and morbid, then it explodes into extreme
metal mayhem. Until the clean vocals come in and soften the vocals,
bringing in the Opethy acoustics. Things even turn a bit djent, believe
it or not. Then the female vocals come in, shattering the ears of the
majority of the world's black metal listeners. They scream in agony,
"female vocals don't belong in black metal!" But then again, this ISN'T
black metal. The end of the track is unbelievably chaotic and then ends
abruptly.

The disc ends with "Recollection 5:39" which is almost
a classier version of a rock song. Don't be surprised if you only hear
Ihsahn singing on this track. There does happen to be a great solo on
this one though, probably not something you'd hear from a normal radio
band. I do believe these riffs are Loomis's though. The disc ends out
with saxophone.

So there you have it. I tricked you and did a
SxS anyway for Ihsahn's fourth solo outing. Don't like it? I don't care.
There's really no other way to describe this disc properly. It's
literally a Baskin Robbins album, and even though you'll hear black
metal bits; it's not and would never be considered black metal. To be
perfectly and completely honest, this is very mainstream. Ihsahn has not
been one to hide in the shadows, as he's guested on Metalocalypse and
has done other acts of mainstreaming that I can't quite remember off the
top of my head.

The man has plenty of ideas, that's for sure.
But I also wouldn't be entirely surprised if he pulled out some sort of
dark atmsopheric album next year. It always seems to come out from a
solo artist. Trust me, the dark atmospheric album is coming... and it'll
also probably have some saxophone.

Again, this is a great record
that is bogged down by too much experimentation and not very much
cohesion. I think that was the idea here, but it doesn't flow quite like
"After" did. Which in my opinion, "After" is definitely better.

Highlights: Introspection, The Eagle And The Snake, Catharsis, Something Out There (10 Tracks 58:00)

8/10

Deathspell Omega - Drought EP (2012)
- Paracletus was one hell of an album, and it was also one hell of a
change from Deathspell's original style of black metal. Once a cult act,
the band has broken out and is now one of those "must-watch" black
metal acts, very much like Blut Aus Nord. This album, quite like
Paracletus, is also a hell of a change.

Unlike Paracletus, this
disc is much blacker and less proggy. Alright, so "Salowe Vision 3:41"
and it's drone isn't really the best description of that, but I like to
look at the track as mainly an opener; a slight calm before the storm.
When "Fiery Serpents 4:15" comes into play, you'll witness firsthand at
the ferocity of the band's further evolution; an attempt to mix the prog
of Paracletus along with the blast beats that we're all familiar with.

This
continues through "Scorpions & Drought 3:11" and stops right at the
melodic but still slightly heavy, "Sand 1:35." It then comes back and
blasts into "Abrasive Swirling Murk 3:47" which also has a solo portion.
Although I can't quite hear it as well as I'd like to. The disc ends
with "The Cracked Book Of Life 4:25" which is an instrumental that shows
slight promise and more melody than the band has ever offered.

These
encroaches of melody might alienate Deathspell's kvlt fanbase. But
that's fine with me, because black metal itself is; and has been,
evolving. Prog and melody might scare off the kind of people that might
fancy listening to raw black metal that was produced in somebody's
garage. But we knew that the change was coming, and I predict that the
follow-up to Paracletus will be well worth waiting for. If this is just a
sample of what they're working on; then I have a good feeling about the
band's next opus.

This EP is well worth checking out. Imagine
the meat of this thing as a darker, blacker version of Paracletus.
You'll actually hear some black metal here, as I've noted; but you'll
still hear that prog, whether you want to or not. Definitely some
promise on this one.

Gojira - L'enfant Sauvage (2012 Limited Edition)
- France's Gojira is no surprise to anyone here, obviously. They worked
their way out of the underground and became a mainstream act in no
time. This was in part due to their third opus, "From Mars To Sirius."
Then after that, they released an excellent and thought provoking piece
called "The Way Of All Flesh." But after something as deep as death,
where else does one go?

This is where, apparently. The band's
fifth album actually has a French title, which is sort of new for them
as all of their titles have been in English with the exception of their
little known debut, "Terra Incognita" which sounds little like the band
does today.

As far as I'm concerned, this disc is more about
flash and flair than actual meat. There are some interesting ideas on
this album of course, but it sounds less like art and more like
mainstreaming with experimentation portions so they don't alienate their
older audience. "Explosia 6:39" comes in strong, but basic. The only
thing that really differentiates it is the odd outro piece to the song
that trails on a little long. The interesting prog used on "L'Enfant
Sauvage 4:17" definitely makes it stick out, and the heavy portions help
to bring that one out.

For the most part, the disc is mainly
just a light to heavy, light to heavy. And of course, during the heavy
vocals, there has to be a harsh vocal.

Songs like "Liquid Fire
4:17" actually seem to hit a note with me, as well as "Mouth Of Kala
5:51" but I just feel as though there's something about this disc that
I' m not getting. Perhaps I need to further congeal it, as it's
something that you actually have to soak into your brain; rather than to
just listen to the first time through. But being a reviewer, I don't
have this kind of time. "The Way Of All Flesh" was more blatant, but
this one seems to be filled with more prog, experimentation, acoustics,
and light vocals. There is very little of an actual "death metal vocal"
to be found on this disc, so at this point it's hard to call them death
metal, and to more or less consider the band some kind of extreme
experimental prog.

Maybe this will be a letdown for fans of the
death metal style that Gojira once incorporated. I mean, while there are
a few death metal tracks on here, some of them only seem to have the
heaviness and death metal vocals because the band didn't want to, again;
alienate any fans. I've been a fan of Gojira for years. I think I
discovered them at the same time that everyone else did, but not only
did I tap into "From Mars To Sirius" I also tapped into their back
catalog and really enjoyed that first release.

But on this one,
the style seems to be getting played out. Perhaps the band have found
their sound, perfected their sound and are now trying to preserve their
sound. But by that time, there's a million little other bands trying to
copy and re-perfect the band's signature sound. Once you've inspired
someone, they're bound to not only copy, but to improve upon your sound.
It's already ahppened more times than I can count. But I strongly doubt
that this fifth disc will be the band's swansong. I see it as just one
of many and I'm sure that it will receive great plays from other
technical and prog metal nuts; but I had that Gojira phase of my life
and I don't think that this disc will be able to reignite that wonder
than I got from "From Mars To Sirius", "Terra Incognita", and "The Way
Of All Flesh." Those albums really meant something to me, especially
"The Way Of All Flesh" because it really felt like a cohesive journey.
Aside from the song with Randy Blythe, this disc seems to fall flat in
comparison to that one, and definitely their third (which some consider
to be their best) album.

For the most part, you already know what to expect here; and there is little new. Just more tinkering and lots of empty spaces.

Bonus Tracks:

I'm
left indifferent by the both of these. Just like the rest of the album,
they showcase very little. "This Emptiness 4:09" and "My Creation 3:59"
are decent enough, but there's nothing really fantastic or different
about them. They could be trimmed fat, but with them the album would be
an entire 60:00 of music, and not just the 52:00 that you get from the
original disc. Not necessary, but if you're a hardcore fan of the band,
you'll probably get the limited edition for these, or just download
them.

Either way, I'm left unimpressed and I was actually looking
forward to this one. Yet I've heard that some people really liked the
disc, so just try before you buy, okay?

6/10? (I really don't know. I'm still up in the air about this whole thing.)

Animetal USA - W (2012)
- Animetal has finally released a new disc. You might remember that I
ranked their debut as one of 2011's best power metal albums of the year.
Yes, they are still covering anime themes (some popular in US and
others in Japan) in the format of power metal. There's still plenty of
thrash to be had here, some killer melodies and just as amazing vocals.
Not to mention the solos. But who is responsible for all this? Well,
here's the lineup:

That's
quite a line-up if I've ever seen one, and yes, they play these anime
themes just as well as a band made up of musicians from those groups
could. The solos on this are harder and fiercer than any solos should be
for anime theme covers, and the drums thunder more than you'd ever
expect. One more thing, the tracklist - translated for you anime fans
out there:

Yeah,
even I must admit that some of these are quite weird. But the songs
each come in with the same force that we would've expected from the
band's debut, and the medley's all seem to work together well enough.
The original Animetal did this, so it's kind of like a tribute. Again,
all the lyrics are just about in English. Of course, the choruses are
sometimes still in Japanese, ("Cha-la Head Cha-la" for example) and
sometimes some of the lyrics, because it's hard to translate and make it
go along with the music.

There's a few themes on here I don't
care for, like the "Galaxy Express 999 Theme 2:55", 'The Girl's Anime
Medley 4:21", and "Do You Remember Love 4:46" from Macross, an anime I
remember watching on VHS years ago. Damn, that brings back memories.

Some
might say, "Well, they did Eva, so what the hell else do you want?" and
I said, "We Gotta Power" but it's like at the end of "Cha-la Head
Cha-La" and it's about a 1:00 long. But they definitely did it justice.
They also did the Japanese opening from Sailor Moon, which had rock
elements anyway, so that came out nice.

The final track on the
disc is actually done with the guy who sings it, because he's still
alive, and it's the only one done in pure Japanese. I don't fucking care
for Naruto anyway, but some people might like this parody metal thing.

To
sum this up, there's nothing different here. But that's a good thing.
It wasn't broke, they didn't fix it. The package is brilliant and even
theme songs to anime that I never watched or liked, ("One Piece" for
example) came out really great.

I'll tell you all right now. If
you want this disc, you'll pay a fortune in import costs. So you should
definitely download it and blame them for the fact that it wasn't
brought over to the states. Yeah, English lyrics, American musicians,
and it wasn't brought out to the states. I'd personally love to have an
original copy of the first one, but that's not happening anytime soon.
(Special Edition 12.00 on CM DISTRO. Animetal USA original is 32.00 in
Japan and W is also 32.00 W/DVD it's 37.00! W Is NOT available in the
US!)

Definitely check it out if you're into anime and
power/traditional heavy metal. It's a great formula from great musicians
that worked out well again. It just didn't work out as well this time.
But the original Animetal probably put out like 30 albums, and if they
keep releasing one every year, they should cover some major ground.

The Agonist - Prisoners (2012)
- The Agonist has come a long way since their female fronted deathcore
was first unleashed onto an unsuspecting popular. Some might say that
this is the result of the "girl power movement" started by vicious
females like Angela Gossow and Otep. But unlike those two, who don't
actually sing, this female actually does let a few notes come out, which
does in all actuality; sound just as fucking poppy as you'd expect.

Thankfully,
there are some really interesting things done on this album that manage
to save it. Like the acoustic intro for example, which explodes into
some very heavy and somewhat proggy death metal. I didn't expect the
drums to do just the sort of things that do on this disc. Whoever's on
that kit, they decided to do more than just some basic beats, and
whoever's playing the guitar also decided that they would actually
incorporate some decent fucking melodies in, despite the fact that her
clean poppy singing fills them. We definitely hear some mannish growls
from the lead vocalist, but most of the time we hear what sounds like a
pissed off drunken woman.

But I understand, because women don't
have the same vocal chords that we do, and it's tougher for them to get
the deepness of vocal that men have. This is natural, so I wouldn't
expect her to be very gravelly in the throat. But being able to mix the
vocal style of her growls and the singing together without it messing up
her tone is a feat. I will say that she does have a very goblin style
scowl at times that I sort of find both very useful for the album, and
also kind of sexy.

Some other saving graces on this disc are the
guitar solos. You wouldn't expect to hear them, but they're definitely
there. But get this, they're also frequent on the album. So expect to
hear lots of actual solos on this one. Nothing Megadeth "Hangar 18" but
definitely good.

"Predator And Prayer 5:04" also incorporates
some great riffs in places, but at this point, you might think that even
the prog is getting overplayed. But the melody isn't, at least not yet.
Then he breaks into that solo. Yep, that's a full metal solo. not some
half-ass radio thing. Another one to check out is "Ideomotor 8:07" and
yes, it's as long as you see. It also features 3-5:00 of straight guitar
jizzery, which we'd not expect. The guitarist in this band apparently
wanted to be on the cover of Guitar World, so showing people that he can
play just might help.

"Dead Ocean 6:19" is another track on here
that manages to keep the disc afloat. The tracks trance-like prog riffs
tend to give the band a new sound, something different that can be
explored. It's evolution, dare I say it. The same ideas get further used
in "Everybody Wants You (Dead) 5:00" and "Revenge Of The Dadaists
6:42." The band plays around with a lot of prog and acoustics on this
discs, but there's still a little radio single called "The Mass Of The
Earth 4:40."

The vocal style hasn't much changed, but she's
gotten better. This album has much more structure than I would've ever
hoped to hear from the band, and there's definitely some promise here.
The drummer and guitarists definitely tear through this album and give
us something much more than what the band has done in the past. This
might be the closest that the band will actually come to mattering
outside the mainstream.

If you're interested, check it out. But
don't expect anything real grand. It's a good album, but not a great
one. Hard work was put into this one, though. I will say that much.
There's also some big words floating around on this one.

Diskord - Dystopics (2012)
- This album has been getting rave reviews, due to the band's ability
to mix traditional death metal, prog, and the occasional weirdness
together in a fashion that doesn't manage to piss off the death metal
elitists. It really is an interesting, if not weird package; but here at
the tower, weirdness is certainly an affecting factor in review. We
like weirdness here, almost embracing it; because innovation can in
itself, be a very peculiar thing at first.

But this album in it's
peculiarity, is still at it's base core; a death metal album. The
vocals are gravelly and also contain deathly screams, the guitars
certainly reek of the smell of dead flesh, and the drums thunder with
the hell choruses that we all know and love. Things here are just a
little bit... different. "Entropic Death 3:31" for example, gives us the
feeling of a fuck session between Entombed and Athiest, but it works
together in the end.

One of the biggest parts of this album is
also it's speed. There really isn't any, so don't expect to hear blazing
death metal. Again, think of bands like Atheist and Cynic on this one.
In fact, they borrow quite a bit from Cynic, especially in the bas
riffs section. But you'd have to be dense not to notice that. At times,
this entire album can sound like one big song with many textured parts;
but perhaps that is how the band intended it.

Diskord is the
kind of band that is more interested in showing you how good they can
play, rather than giving you a groove-laden headbang fest. But there
are still heavy drums in portions of the disc and you can still bang
your head, if you simply must. This is in most ways, an atmospheric
death metal experiment. It echoes early Athiest quite a bit, and the low
quality production makes it sound like it came out during the same time
as anything those guys had put out in the 90's.

For most of you,
this is a wet dream of sorts, and I very much enjoyed this disc. I
think I've listened to it three times already. It's not that long an
experiment, but it sure is an interesting one. I guess that you could
quite easily consider it the sort of death metal you would want to play
if you wanted to retain focus.

It's also good to listen to while
you're working on a piece of art. (Designed the new banner while
listening to it, btw.) If you're looking for something that is brutal,
methodical, experimental, and still old school in the sense of
production; then this album is for you.

Trust me, the album cover alone showcases just what you're in for. It's a death metal album that's most certainly abstract art.

The Cult - Choice Of Weapon (2012)
- As I'm certainly no stranger to the Cult's later work, (but a blind
ghost to their early material) I knew exactly what to expect from this
album. Tambourines, Astbury's vocal croons, punky rock and roll guitars,
and eclectic drumming that goes from contemporary to tribal. There
definitely is a very spiritual feel to this disc, especially on songs
like "Elemental Light 4:51."

The melodies on this album haven't
changed a bit from anything else that the band has released, and that's a
good thing. They still have the same very trance-like feel that they've
always had and I'm thankful for that. The Cult could've tried to go
absurdly heavy in order to connect with the popular rock/metal media,
but I'm glad that they didn't. This is by far, one of the band's best
releases.

A full twenty minutes longer than the band's last
disc, "Born Into This" (2007) the extra time was not wasted. You have
hippie-punk tracks like "Honey From A Knife 3:12", "The Wolf 3:39", and
"For The Animals 4:34."

But you've also got the David Bowie
influenced, "Life > Death 5:39." It's not my favorite track on the
disc, but it is good for variety's sake. There's also a couple of great
ballads like "Wilderness Now 4:39", "This Night In The City Forever
4:51", and "Embers 5:08." But what you won't believe, is that all of
these ballads are good.

To be perfectly honest, there's little
here on the album that I didn't like. But that's thanks to Billy Duffy's
incredible riffs. It doesn't really matter what the song is, he plays
each and every one of these with passion and finesse, a flair that only
he could have brought to this band, and has brought forth with every
album. This is no throwaway disc, and is a true example of The Cult's
music.

I was fortunate enough to watch a full concert from these
guys on the television, and it was quite brilliant. Even with this
album, I can still hear the same sort of licks that the band played in
it's most earliest years; and the mixes of the old sound and some of the
newer, slightly heavier sound featured on tracks like "Until The Light
Takes Us 4:26." You can certainly hear that the band takes influence
from classic blues and even groups like The Rolling Stones "A Pale Horse
3:20."

But my personal favorite track on this, while very
contemporary and radio friendly; is "Every Man and Woman Is A Star 3:32"
which means a lot more than what you may think. Anyone whose read
Crowley's Book of the Law (Liber Al Legis) knows what I'm talking about
here. This song also has one of the best, and most catchy choruses on
the album. I'm waiting for a video for this one, it's certainly
warranted.

The Cult have once again impressed me, in the way that
they always seem to do; by breaking up and doing their own things (BXI
for example) and then getting back together and giving us something like
this. Those of you who saw that awful hip-hop mix of "She Sells
Sanctuary" during the Super Bowl, well... Don't expect any hip hopping
on this album. It's a 100% true album from the band that both the vets
and the newcomers should enjoy. Definitely pick yourself up a copy and
experience some really great rock. There's not much of it out there
anymore, sadly.

Highlights: Elemental Light, The Wolf, For The
Animals, Amnesia, Wilderness Now, A Pale Horse, The Night In This City
Forever, Every Man and Woman Is A Star, Until The Light Takes Us,
Siberia (And all the rest are just about as good.) (14 Tracks, 59:00)

10/10

The Night Flight Orchestra - Internal Affairs (2012 Limited Edition)
- An odd side project from Soilwork's Bjorn Strid and Arch Enemy's
Sharlee D'Angelo; this classic rock projects is one of the best things
that either of these two men have put their names on. I don't care if
Arch Enemy or Soilwork ever release another disc, as both bands are in
my opinion now thoroughly played out and have had their day. There's not
much that can be done with either one of them, and they're both going
to be beating a dead horse if they do decide to release another disc.

Thankfully,
there's this. A spot of maturity, or perhaps a drunken idea to create
classic rock. Either way, the end result is brilliant and really echoes
the kind of classic prog influenced rock from the days when rock music
was still good. You'll hear classic riffs, some synths and traditional
drumming. But what really makes this disc stand out are D'Angelo's riffs
and Strid's vocals. Songs like "Siberian Queen 6:03", "California
Morning 5:37", West Ruth Ave 6:42", and "Transatlantic Blues 8:21" are
all fantastic examples of this formula done right. If you don't yearn
for the days of great classic rock while listening to these, then you
just don't like rock music.

The solos on the disc are also
fantastic, as you would expect them to be. Each and every song on the
disc certainly has it's own feel, nothing on here sounds alike. But they
all share the common influence of classic rock. "Transatlantic Blues
8:21" actually is the heaviest of the bunch, and it's also got the most
prog of the disc. There's even a slight jam-out session, just like bands
used to do back in those days. If anything, this is a history lesson
for the youth. There's even some 80's shout-outs, like "West Ruth Ave
6:42." Try and tell me that that chorus doesn't sound like an 80's
chorus.

Then we've got "Internal Affairs 4:48" which definitely
has plenty of disco influence and I'll tell you something... it kind of
sucks that disco died, because it's actually pretty good music. I think
I'd rather listen to that then dub-step.

There are just a few
songs I didn't like quite as much, like "Stella Ain't No Dove 4:27" and
the soft ballad, "Green Hills Of Grumslov 4:08." But there are certainly
people out there who will enjoy these tracks, I'm sure. For the most
part, this isn't an album for metal heads, and possibly the fathers and
mothers of said young metalheads would enjoy this more than they would.
But I'm an 80's child, so I'm familiar with a lot of the music back in
those days, and the older music that my mother used to listen to.

If
you're under the impression that the best rock music has already been
made (like myself) then you'll also understand how this album is one
that you've got to have in your collection. These metal greats came
together and made one of the best classic rock albums I've heard in an
innumerable amount of years. Bands like Cream and Pink Floyd don't exist
anymore, but it's a good thing that The Night Flight Orchestra did
their best to try to remind us of what kind of effect that music had on
an entire generation.

Definitely essential classic rock.

Bonus
Track: "American High 3:36" is definitely a good track, it's got a
catchy chorus and a good melody. It was definitely good enough to have
on the album, but it's not one of the band's best tracks. It's right up
there with the other two that I wasn't exactly crazy about. If it's not
much more for the limited edition, go get that and this extra track. But
I wouldn't spend more than three extra dollars on it.

Storm Corrosion - Storm Corrosion (2012)
- This dream project of Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree) and Michael
Ankerfeldt (Opeth) finally came along this year, but it wasn't quite
what the masses had hoped for. There is little guitar and more
atmosphere than anything else here. But that doesn't mean that it's not
good. Of course, most people were expecting a prog-rock jam session and
they didn't get it.

"Drag Ropes 9:52" opens the disc with eerie
synths and Micahel's clean vocals. Let it be noted that there are no
death metal vocals on this album, as you might expect. "Storm Corrosion
10:09" is a tribal atmospheric with acoustic guitars and Steve's vocals
plastered all over it. "Hag 6:28" and "Happy 4:53" each have a
distressing and melancholy feel. It's also safe to say that they're both
heavy atmospheres, despite a slight "rock" portion in "Hag" that sounds
fuzzy to say the least. This was definitely meant to be some sort of
experiment. "Happy" has a nice acoustic solo. Thought I'd just throw
that in, for those of you who were under the assumption that guitars
were absent on this disc.

"Lock Howl 6:10" is a weird piece that
features some shakers, acoustic guitar and a little bit of electric.
It's got all sorts of weird effects in it, like one hell of an
experiment where "just anything went." However, it is quite interesting
and is slightly much warmer than the rest of the tracks on the album.
The disc ends with "Ludjet Innan 10:20" which begins with some high
pitch vocals (from Michael?) and then has what I could honestly describe
as the type of music that would accompany one trying to perform the act
of astral projection. It is a very light, ethereal atmosphere that
seems to continue on for a while. Then the song slows and Wilson sings a
bar or two among the light guitar. The atmosphere comes back in, and
the whole thing just sounds completely beyond this dimension. Just like
the rest oft his album.

A listening tip is to first get high.
Mushrooms, acid or marijuana might definitely help in the enjoyment of
this album. It's an experience and you probably need to be in the right
state of mind for it. While not the kind of jaunty prog-rock fest that
we were expecting, there is a ridiculous amount of experimentation on
this disc that could've only been accomplished by these two masters of
prog. Worth a listen, but I feel that only few will actually buy this
one.

Still, I'll bet there's at least a few people who say this
is one of the best albums they've ever heard. I don't feel the same, but
to each their own; I suppose.

Anna Salen - Anna Salen (2012 FREE EP)
- This free EP from Ana Salen was a free download from bandcamp. I was
getting some music from Over-Reactor (I'll reviews for them later) and
this was suggested by them, so I check it out. Not much here to really
talk about, since it's only three songs. The first song, "Vehicles 3:08"
is the sort of prog rock influenced thing I would expect from a band of
this sort. It thumps, but not in a way that we haven't heard. The
drummer's pretty decent, but the band doesn't sound like they've got a
whole lot of meat. The riffs sound very generic d-tune for the most part
too, and that shit irks me to no end.

"How To Be A Man 5:12"
has the prog synthesizers that we all know and love, and it's definitely
nothing out of the ordinary. Could be developed further, but not a bad
showcase of the band's talent. A little bit too much riff-repetition for
me. However, It has a surprising acoustic melody at the end. The last
song on this disc reminds me of something from SNK's King Of Fighters
style music. It even has the over-used heavy bass riffs that we hear in
fighting games these days. it's not surprised that the song's called
"Karate 3:13." There's an interesting portion in the middle, then a
break down and reinterpretation of the opening riff. Sounds good, but
nothing altogether amazing.

All in all, this is maybe worth the
free download; but I think that the band needs to step up to the plate
just a little more and really give me an idea of just what they're
capable of. These three songs are each different and unique, but some
seem a bit stale and under-developed.

Binah - Hallucinating In Resurrecture (PR2012)
- Who the fuck is Binah? Well, they're your new death metal god for one
thing, so start bowing. Some guy was talking about how their name is
derived from Hindu or something; but I could give a fuck less, I'm not
hear to talk about the name, I'm hear to talk about the music, and it is
pretty damned breathtaking folks. This isn't just death metal. It's
highly influenced by prog and very melodic in portions as well.

Yes,
you'll still get beat over the head - but not with each and every
single song. Sometimes the band just likes to take it slow. After all,
death metal is not a race to see who can play the fastest; it's who can
play the best, and with the most skill and talent. I looked at a photo
of these guys and saw that they're young for the most part. You would
think they're a little green. But that's not the case here; as this is
definitely some of the best death metal I've heard in quite a while.

Do
all the songs stick out? No. Of course not. "A New Rotten Dawn 5:15",
"Absorption Into The Unearthly 3:16", and "Dissolution 4:49" have their
moments, but they're mostly bland death metal thrashers that we've all
heard before. No, I don't need to name bands, it's pretty fucking
obvious as to what generic death metal sounds like.

But here's
the thing. The rest of the tracks on here are golden. If it's over 7:00
long on this disc, it's worth checking out. Oddly enough, the band
placed these four tracks that are each around 7 minutes and 30 seconds;
in between the shorter, blander tracks on the disc. Genius or suicide?
You choose. I for one, think that it's a good idea to have the slower
more melodic (and progressive influenced at times) tracks on the disc
along with the faster tracks, that way we don't just get one style of
death metal from a band; which can be extremely boring.

The disc
has a slightly raw sound, but you can definitely discern all of the
instruments. It's slightly muddy for the most part. The growls are much
louder on my laptop then they were in my headphones, so I can't make the
argument about the vocals being too low in the mix. But I still suggest
that they very well might be.

The drumming is definitely good
on this disc, and it shows that the drummer can alternate between
bludgeoning his kit and playing with artistic precision. The guitarists
can both play classic death metal riffs and some weird and eerie proggy
shit that we didn't see coming. This is really the kind of death metal
that you just don't expect to hear clean melody or prog in, but it helps
the atmosphere. Again, don't worry. You're still going to get your
spleen ripped out through your asshole by this. It will just be done in a
much classier way.

If the thought of melodies and touches of
prog doesn't interest you, then perhaps you should stay away from this
one. But I would even then still recommend you to get this disc. Trust
me, this has the feel of classic death metal; it's just updated a little
and might be a change from those old Entombed, Grave, and Deicide
albums. Definitely give this unique disc a try. Binah is onto something
here, and with great tracks like "The Emissary 7:22" and the title
track, "Hallucinating In Resurrecture 7:37"; there's plenty to like
here. Not only do you get tremendous structure with epic atmospheres;
you also get relentless brutality on the same disc.

These three
guys made one killer of an album. Go check it out and give these guys
some support. This is the kind of thing I want to hear from death metal
in 2012, not the same regurgitated crap.

Dogbane - Residual Alcatraz (PR2012)
- Dogbane is a doom band that plays with a little bit of prog and some
classic rock elements. Their style is certainly nothing new, but they do
it play it well. The raw production value of the disc also helps. This
thing sounds about as analog as can be, but I don't think that it
could've or should've been done any other way.

The band
definitely adds slight touches of prog into the mix, which is something
you really wouldn't expect. However, these touches help to sweeten an
already great package. The riffs are actually worth a shit, with the
band playing some great melodies on tracks like "Born To Die 4:47",
"Annihilator 5:18" and many others. The vocal delivery isn't very good
in some areas, but the high pitch croon of their vocalist does hit
pretty hard in others. I'd be a fool to say that he can't keep up the
rhythm.

What I really like about this disc, is that the band
really doesn't show any boundaries. This goes from heavy metal, to prog,
to jam out session in a matter of seconds. Most of the lead riffs
you've heard before, but there are slight tweaks that give the music
just a little more form. This kind of music is probably great while
"medicated" and definitely has it's share of 60's moments.

This
is quite comparable to Candlemass, but it has more structure; even
though that's almost a blasphemy, I'd reckon. I'm just calling it like I
see it. If you're a fan of traditional doom metal and 60's prog rock,
you'll probably love this one. I'm not even going to sugarcoat this. The
band came out of nowhere with a very worthy doom disc, and it's got
plenty of worthwhile tracks to keep you entertained for hours at a time.
There are even a few shout outs to Iron Maiden and Judas Priest if
you'll listen closely(Devil in The Dark 6:47").

So maybe it's not
just doom metal, after all. Maybe it's just a mix of everything. There
are even some death metal vocals in the epic, "Burning In The Light
9:50." Again, this is a band that doesn't really have boundaries. They
didn't just want to make a generic heavy metal album. They wanted to
make a heavy metal disc that mixes in their influences of doom, prog,
death metal, punk and classic rock. Sure you can hear the influences in
the music, but it's one hell of a mix; and you can bet your ass that
you'll be playing it for days. It's an album where you can still hear
the fuzz and static from the amps, as old school as can possibly be.

If
you're a new school metal head, you probably should give this one a
spin. Because this is how metal used to sound before all of the
production and cleanliness that discs have now. This is what shit used
to sound like in the metal's early years, before anyone even knew what
the hell the words "kvlt" and "djent" meant.

Go get it for a
history lesson, if you're young and curious. But for the older heads out
there, you know damn well what I'm talking about. If you're still under
the assumption that "there's no good metal out there anymore", you need
to fucking check this out. It seems that there are some bands out there
(and let's be honest, these are some old dudes playing this shit) that
still know how to play the old sound. I'm thankful as hell that they
still do, and I'd have never heard about this album if not for my PR
folks. So I'm returning the favor by promoting it to the masses.

School's
in session. Go pick this one up and learn something about metal besides
technicality, brutality, blast beats, and djent.

Forefather - Last Of The Line (PR2012)
- With Viking metal, I can't say that I've really been much of a fan.
Sure I've enjoyed some of it, and I know some friends who absolutely
love it; even consider it part of their religion. But as for this band, I
can certainly say that they've got both talent and experience. The
songs have a great deal of folk melodies and a mixture of clean and
harsh vocals. Yes, this is nothing new.

But the clean singer has
some really great pipes "By The Deeds 4:51", "The Downfallen 5:53" and
combined with some of the great melodies that this album occupies, it's
an almost unbeatable formula. But for you fans of harsher and more
vicious Viking anthems, you should know that Forefather excel in doing
both. There are some definite heavy tracks on the disc like, "Chorus Of
Steel 4:42" and "Doomsday Dawns 6:42", but the heaviness is balanced out
with the melody and clean vocal.

There's a Viking ballad on
here as well, it's called "Up High 5:08" and I could see many a heathen
disrobing and worshiping the old gods to this one. It's very hymn-like
in that aspect, I consider it a very sacred and true musical work. A
proggier piece called "Wyrda Gesceaft 3:06" also seems like it's got a
sort of meditation like presence; only a few words are spoken on this
track. It is mostly an instrumental reflection. One thing is truly
certain about this album, it is a true heathen metal album for true
heathens.

Some of the songs do start to sound in very much in
the same style as the opener with it's mix of heaviness and melody and
both vocal styles; but it's the other tracks on this disc that make it
worthwhile. There aren't any truly awful tracks on this one, but it does
begin to sound like filler in the middle. It's not filler to all, of
course; some people might really like "Shadows Of The Dead 5:24" and
"Spears Of Faith 4:54", but I've heard much the same thing before from
bands like Ensiferum.

Either way, the disc is rounded out well
enough by it's better tracks, that mask the filler and make the whole
thing worthwhile and a must for Viking metal fans and heathens of all
types. This is great Viking metal, and it's definitely worth adding to
the collection that you've already got stored in your longboat.

Give Odin a few hails, and blast this one from the rooftop!

Highlights:
Cometh The King, Last of Line, Chorus Of Steel, By The Deeds, Up High,
Wyrda Gesceaft, Doomsday Dawns, The Downfallen (12 tracks, 55:00)

9/10

Hordes Of The Morning Star - Consummatum Est (PR2012)
- I know that this album came out a while ago overseas, but now the
American release is set to come out; so I'm reviewing it for that
purpose.

Hordes is one hell of a black/death band. They're one of
the most downright fucking evil groups that I've heard in quite a
while. The vocals literally sound like they're filled with scorn, the
drums seem to be absolutely merciless, and the guitars bring forth some
of the blackest and darkest riffs that I've heard in a while. If this
thing had an aura, it'd be the color of coal.

You've got an
alternation of black and death metal vocals, but it works together
nicely, albeit there is much more malice coming from the black metal
scowls than the growls. As for the guitars, you can't really expect and
solos or anything of that nature; it's not that kind of happy band.
These guys are evil and pissed. Each and every song is filled with an
ultimately bleak and destructive atmosphere. You might want to play this
as you murder someone, but I'd not recommend it.

But it would
be great music for that. This really is the kind of music that was made
to be played while watching a church burn, and that'd be quite alright
with these gentlemen as they seem to have quite a thing for the guy with
the horns and don't seem to care much for that other guy. But that's
fucking putting it lightly.

Nevertheless, you're going to get a
severe beating from this one that you're going to be feeling for days.
Each and every song really carries the same vibe, as there are none that
I can really single out. It sounds like black metal more than anything
else, and the riffs seem to tread along those lines. Even the acoustic
bits that do exist on this disc are quite dreary. The drums bang and
blister with a fervor, as the man behind the kit must be insane.

Normally,
I don't fear the image of bands and their over the top dark imagery and
anger; but these are the type of gentlemen that I wouldn't want to meet
in a dark alley. If you're going to carve up an animal, or a human
corpse, this music might also be good for that. It's just so fucking
diabolically evil that it's beyond words.

My only qualm with
this disc is that many of the songs gravitate towards the same
direction. Yes, I wouldn't expect any less from these metallic demons;
but you know what to expect with each and every song. But that's very
little of a gripe. Hordes does everything right here, and the clean
production on the disc makes the vocals screech right into your ears.
You won't just hear this album, you'll feel it. if you're a young
disenfranchised youth and are looking to piss off your parents and the
neighborhood; then buy this and blast it. If you're looking for some
malicious black metal with elements of death metal, (and some great
melodies) definitely pick this up.

Again, there are no solos.
There are no clean vocals. There is no prog. This is just complete 100%
fuck you all black metal. If that's not indication enough, just listen
to "Holocaust 4:10." it's the ultimate "work sucked today" song.

it's
pure evil through and through. This will probably piss of 95% of the
general population who don't even listen to metal. Take that as an extra
incentive.